The ?controlling? power has been built into each individual switch and scenes can be programmed and selected from pre-programmed switches in the house. Electricians and installers no longer have to learn special wiring schemes as they can wire a house using standard AC wiring methods, and run UL rated CAT5E cable drops into each junction box.

To Centralize or De-Centralize your lighting control: That is the question!

The
"controlling" power has been built into each individual switch and scenes
can be programmed and selected from pre-programmed switches in the house.
Electricians and installers no longer have to learn special wiring schemes
as they can wire a house using standard AC wiring methods, and run UL rated
CAT5E cable drops into each junction box.

It was common knowledge that controlling lights with computerized
panels throughout an entire home is a luxury that only the wealthy can
afford - until now!

In general, there are two fundamental categories of lighting control:
Centralized lighting and de-centralized lighting. For years, centralized
lighting control has been something that required highly trained
electricians, installers, and programmers to setup. Once installed and
programmed, the homeowner could activate different "scenes" from the
centralized control panel. If the homeowner wanted to change a scene, he
had to go through an extensive process to learn how to do it or call on a
trained programmer. This, of course, was difficult and costly in those
days.

Today not much has changed regarding the need for specialized training
for electricians and installers in order to install and operate a
centralized lighting control system. Some lighting control companies have
tried to simplify things evidenced by their newer designs. However, there
is still an ever increasing demand for simplicity in programming and ease
of operation by installers and electricians (not to mention the
homeowner!).

A Centralized lighting control setup contains the typical unattractive
box or panel with many buttons (also known as "The Controller"), and the
desired number of dimmers and toggle switches wired throughout the
building. Each switch would need to have its wires "home-run" back to the
centralized controller panel as illustrated in Figure 1. The scene
capability of the switches would then be controlled by the central
controller. Without the Controller, the switches could not do what you
would think they were designed to do. The centralized controller system is
complex to install and program, has limited capabilities of individual
switches, a limited number of devices per controller, multiple home-runs
are required - meaning more hours on the job for installers and
electricians (that translates into hundreds and maybe thousands of
dollars!), and it is not providing the homeowner with true convenience and
simplicity.

Figure 1

Companies like Electronic Design Technology (EDT) thought outside the
box to develop a "decentralized" distributed lighting control solution.
The basic philosophy is that EDT believed a lighting control system should
be: simple to install, program and use; Elegant in its aesthetic design
making a great first impression; reliable in its operation; easily
expandable (up to 255 devices); and affordable for the average homeowner.

The i-LiNE™ series of lighting control products eliminate many of the
complexities and frustrations associated with the installation and
configuration of existing lighting control products. This philosophy has
been extended to the user interface allowing simple system programming,
yet at the same time, providing many advanced features only found on much
more expensive and complex system. The i-LiNE™ lighting control system has
been designed so that it can be used as a fully functional lighting
control system without the need for a controller.

The "controlling" power has been built into each individual switch and
scenes can be programmed and selected from pre-programmed switches in the
house. Electricians and installers no longer have to learn special wiring
schemes as they can wire a house using standard AC wiring methods, and run
UL rated CAT5E cable drops into each junction box. The CAT5E cable
connects to each switch in a daisy chain series using RJ-45 connectors as
illustrated in Figure 2.

The i-LiNE™ lighting control system address acquisitioning and
configuration is automatic upon power up, eliminating the need to manually
set dip switches or dials on every device. Scenes can be setup in seconds.
The i-LiNE™ system will integrate with other third party products through
RS-232 or contact closure connection.

Figure 2:

There are advantages and disadvantages to both a centralized and
de-centralized lighting control system. The choice is up to the consumer.
The bottom line is this:

The choice will either cost you and add to the complexities of life,
or save you some time and money and give you simplicity and convenience!
It's about payback! Yours!

For more information on the i-LiNE™ lighting control solution
please visit our website or email us at
info@edt.biz.

The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of HomeToys

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